Bryn Mawr Painter Sentenced For Stealing $1M From Chesco Family

BRYN MAWR, PA — A Bryn Mawr painter who stole nearly $1 million from a Chester County couple for whom he was working has been sentenced to prison, according to court documents.

Clifton Willson, 36, of Bryn Mawr, will spend the next three to 23 months in Chester County Prison, documents state. Wilson had just finished paying back $927,100 to the couple, who owned a horse farm in Willistown.

Willson wrote fraudulent checks in the name of the farm's owner, and withdrew funds from her account for personal use, DA Tom Hogan alleges.

Wilson used the money to buy luxury vehicles including two Maseratis, a Porsche SUV, a Land Rover, a rental home, and a family vacation to the Bahamas, the DA said.

"The defendant took advantage of his position of trust," Hogan said. "All because of simple greed."

Wilson had worked for the farm as a painter since 2014, according to the criminal complaint.

The farm owner first noticed an unauthorized check made out to Wilson for $18,000 in February of 2016, the complaint alleges.

An investigation revealed Wilson had stolen 148 blank checks from the property, forging amounts ranging from $900 to $18,000 at a time, police said.

"Unfortunately, this is a sad reminder that people and businesses need to be very careful about whom they can trust," Willistown Police Chief John Narcise said.

Story by Justin Heinze

Image courtesy Chester County District Attorney's Office.